This date loaf is the perfect slice to start any day. Naturally sweet dates, warm spices and a soft, tender crumb make it perfect for slow mornings or afternoons, while the cardamom-spiced cream cheese adds just enough indulgence to justify a second slice before 10 am.
Breakfast date loaf with cardamom-spiced cream cheese
Ingredients
- Date loaf
- 2 cups chopped Medjool dates
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 eggs
- 125 grams butter, softened
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 2 tbsp muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- Cardamom cream cheese
- 4 tbsp water
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 2 cardamom pods
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 250 grams cream cheese
Instructions
Date loaf
PREHEAT the oven to 180°C and line
a loaf tin with baking paper.
combine the dates, bicarb and salt
in a bowl. Add the boiling water and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Strain.
LIGHTLY beat eggs until frothy. Add butter and beat until thick.
SIFT the flours together. Then, fold
into the egg mixture. Fold in dates
and chopped almonds.
POUR the mixture into the prepared tin, and sprinkle with muscovado sugar and slivered almonds. Bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cardamom
cream cheese.
ALLOW to cool before removing
baking paper.
Cardamom cream cheese
BOIL the water, sugar, cardamom
pods and ground cardamom together
in a pot over medium-high heat for
5 minutes until a syrup forms. Let cool.
whip the cream cheese until smooth.
fold through syrup and refrigerate
until needed.
SLICE the date loaf and serve with
the cardamom cream cheese.
Also See: Granola yoghurt parfaits for breakfast
Recipes and Styling: Chiara Turilli;
Photos: Andreas Eiselen/Habari media images
